Hair straightening and styling device

ABSTRACT

A brush for styling hair has a handle connected to a head with the head having a longitudinal axis and a number of stationary teeth and a number of movable teeth. The stationary teeth and the movable teeth both are arranged in a number of rows. The stationary teeth and the movable teeth are aligned with one another in a first position. The movable teeth traverse an amount in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis to a second position. The movable teeth in the second position are misaligned relative to the stationary teeth. The stationary teeth and the movable teeth tension hair disposed therethrough.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention

The present invention aims to provide a device for straightening orflattening the hair, i.e. for styling the hair in order to make itsmooth.

More specifically, the present invention aims to provide a device forstraightening and styling the hair that is simple to use andcost-effective compared with the appliances currently available on themarket.

An additional aim of the present invention is to provide a device which,when used, nevertheless treats the hair and the scalp with great careand which does not have the drawbacks of the prior art.

2. Description of the Related Art

Various devices suitable for smoothing down frizzy or curly hair areknown. Generally, these appliances are based on the principle that thehair passes between tongs or rollers. Thus, document DE 2 615 267-Adescribes electrically-heated tongs in which the hair is placed betweenheating pads.

Document WO 98/35578 also describes tongs comprising two heating plates.

As an illustration of such device based on the use of rollers pinchedtogether between which the hair is smoothed down, mention may be made ofdocument U.S. Pat. No. 2,910,988-A as well as of document FR 2 571944-A.

To assist the operation, most of these devices are provided with heatingmeans such as electric resistors heating a pad or alternativelyproducing hot air or steam.

Large-toothed combs are also known, these are appliances provided withone or several combs making, generally under the effect of an engine,small, continuous and generally longitudinal jerky movements which aremeant to untangle the hair when the appliance is passed through it.Appliances of this type are illustrated by documents WO 96/28990; U.S.Pat. No. 4,139,014; U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,794; U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,030;U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,023 and EP 0 687 426-A, but are not suitable forstraightening or flattening the hair.

It is generally noticed that most of these existing devices do notentirely satisfy the users' wishes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Applicant noted that improved results can be obtained when, byapplying heat into contact with a heating pad, optionally combined withhot air and/or steam, the hair is held in a taut position during thestraightening or flattening operation.

According to the invention, the disclosed appliance can be connected tothe electric supply and comprises a handle and a head, it ischaracterised in that the head is provided with an electrically-heatedsmoothing pad and also with a pinching element provided with a controlthat can be operated by the user and taking the form of at least threecombs, the teeth of which can be brought, by means of the control, froman aligned tooth-to-tooth position in the same plane for each comb,towards a slightly out-of-line position of each row of comb teethrelative to the row of teeth of the neighbouring comb, so that locks ofhair can be pinched.

The user will use the device by treating the hair from the root to theend, placing locks of hair between the teeth in the above-mentionedaligned tooth-to-tooth position of each comb.

Then, by operating a control with the thumb for example, he willgradually bring the rows of teeth of each comb out of line relative tothe neighbouring row so that the locks of hair can be pinched and heldtaut.

In this position and without excessive tautness, he can then continuewith a “combing” movement, smoothing down the hair in contact with theheating pad.

In practice, a row of teeth fastened to a mobile base, forming anintercalating comb that can perform a slight to-and-fro motion in thelongitudinal direction by means of a manual control by the user, isprovided on the head between two rows of fixed teeth, forming twoparallel combs.

Preferably, this manual control takes the form of a push-button, whichgradually moves the row of mobile teeth of the intercalating combrelative to the neighbouring rows of fixed teeth by a suitablemechanism.

When the pressure on the push-button is released, a spring brings backthe row of teeth of the intercalating comb to its initial position.

Incidentally, the pad may be provided with holes allowing thecirculation of hot air or steam by means of the electric supply, whichreinforces the desired smoothing effect on the hair.

Other details and characteristics of the invention will emerge from thefollowing description. This description is given by way of mereillustration and is non-restrictive.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a general perspective view of the appliance according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the head of the appliance accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 3 a is the appliance according to the present invention, with theintercalating comb in the standby position.

FIG. 3 b is a view of the appliance according to the present invention,with the intercalating comb in the working position.

FIGS. 4 a, 4 b and 4 c correspond to a scheme illustrating the principlefor operating and using the device according to the present invention,with illustrated locks of hair.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of the position of the device relative tothe skull.

DESCRIPTION OF ONE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In one preferred embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 1, the device 1essentially comprises a sleeve or a handle 2 and a head 3 as well asconnection means to the electric supply.

The head 3 of said device 1 comprises heating means in the form of anelectrically-heated smoothing pad 4 and a pinching element.

The pinching element herein comprises three essentially parallel combs6, 7, 8, the comb 7 being located between the combs 6 and 8, as shown inFIG. 2. Each of these combs 6, 7, 8 comprises teeth, 6 a, 6 b, 6 c, . .. , 7 a, 7 b, 7 c, . . . , and 8 a, 8 b, 8 c, . . . respectively.

The combs 6 and 8 are fixed, the teeth 6 a and 8 a, etc. respectively,are arranged on either side of the axle E of the device, in a relativelysymmetrical position relative to this axle E and define together aseries of successive parallel planes transversely oriented relative tothe axle E of the appliance 1.

The intercalating comb 7 comprises teeth fastened to a mobile base 9.These teeth are longer than those of the fixed combs 6 and 8 so as toavoid damaging the scalp during the smoothing operation.

The mobile intercalating comb 7 can adopt two extreme positions relativeto the fixed combs 6 and 8, respectively shown in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b.

In the “standby” position as illustrated in FIGS. 3 a and 4 a, the teeth7 a, 7 b, 7 c, . . . of the intercalating comb 7 are in the same planeas the teeth of the combs 6 and 8, so that the teeth 7 a, 7 b, 7 c, . .. are essentially aligned with the teeth 6 a, 8 a; 6 b, 8 b; 6 c, 7 c; .. . , respectively.

In the “working” position as illustrated in FIGS. 3 b, 4 b and 4 c, theteeth 7 a, 7 b, 7 c, . . . of the intercalating comb 7 are out of theabove-mentioned plane, so that the teeth 7 a, 7 b are no longer alignedwith the teeth 6 a, 8 a; 6 b, 8 b; 6 c, 7 c; . . . respectively, but areout of line relative to the latter along the direction defined by theaxle E of the appliance 1.

Moreover, the appliance 1 comprises control means 10 that may beoperated by the user and that are intended to move the row of teeth 7 a,7 b, 7 c, constituting the intercalating comb 7 between the two extremepositions of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b by a sliding motion in the longitudinaldirection following the arrows A and B as illustrated in FIGS. 3 a and 3b.

Said control means 10 herein take the form of a push-button on thesleeve 2. According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, thestandby position of the teeth of the intercalating comb 7 is obtainedwhen the push-button 10 is released. The extreme working position of theteeth of the intercalating comb 7 is obtained when the push-button 10 istotally pressed. All intermediate positions are possible.

In concrete terms, when the user wishes to straighten or flatten hair,he proceeds in the following manner.

First, he places the appliance as close as possible to the crown of thehead and takes up the base of the locks of hair by means of the combs 6,7, 8, the teeth 7 a, 7 b, 7 c, . . . being in the standby position asillustrated in FIG. 4 a.

Then, the user presses the push-button 10 so as to control the slidingof the intercalating comb 7 relative to the fixed combs 6 and 8 as faras the extreme working position and thus to pinch the base of the locksof hair as illustrated in FIG. 4 b.

The user gradually applies pressure to the push-button in order totauten the hair and gradually slides the head 3 provided with theheating pad 4 in a continuous motion along the locks of hair, said locksof hair are thus subjected to the action of the heat when sliding overthe heating pads 4, while at the same time being subjected to tensileforces via the combs 6, 7 and 8 as illustrated in FIG. 4 c.

Once these locks have been smoothed down over their entire length, theuser controls the return of the intercalating comb 7 to its standbyposition by releasing the push-button 10, releases said locks of hairand repeats the same operations for other locks of hair, until theentire head of hair has been straightened.

The tension exerted by the pinching element facilitates thestraightening operation by optimising the sliding of the locks of hairon the heating pad 4.

Two rows of smaller teeth 11 and 12 are placed on either side of thecombs 6, 7 and 8, intended to straighten the hair. These teeth areintended to prevent the heating pads from coming into contact with thescalp. The flanking arrangement of the rows of small teeth 11 and 12relative to the combs 6, 7 and 8 allows the device to be used witheither the left hand or the right hand.

The position of the rows of teeth 11 and 12 relative to the combs 6, 7and 8 facing the curve of the skull 15 is illustrated in FIG. 5.

1. A device for styling hair, said device comprising a handle defining alongitudinal axis; a head extending longitudinally from said handle; astationary comb fixed to said head and having two rows of stationarycomb teeth, said rows each extending longitudinally, and each of saidstationary comb teeth being of a first height; a moveable comb mountedfor movement longitudinally with respect to said stationary comb andhaving a row of movable comb teeth of a second height that is at leastas great as said first height, said movable comb teeth being alignedparallel to and adjacent to said stationary comb teeth; a first row ofside comb teeth, said first row being fixed to said head parallel to andspaced apart at a first normal distance from said stationary combadjacent to a first side of said head, wherein each and every tooth ofsaid first row of side comb teeth has a height that is less than saidfirst height; and a second row of side comb teeth, said second row beingfixed to said head parallel to and spaced apart at a second normaldistance from said stationary comb adjacent to a second side of saidhead, wherein each and every tooth of said second row of side comb teethhas a height that is less than said first height wherein the firstnormal distance is greater than a normal distance between the movablecomb and one of the two rows of stationary comb teeth.
 2. The deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein each of said stationary comb teeth has awidth that varies along its length and that is greater than itsthickness, wherein said width is wider at a base of said stationary combteeth and tapers narrower on one side of said each of stationary combteeth to a distal tip of said stationary comb teeth, wherein anotherside that is opposite the one side of said each of stationary comb teeththat tapers narrower to the distal tip is vertical to the head andwherein a cross section of said distal tip is a quadrangle.